Third Global Biodiversity Forum (GBF) - South Asia regional meeting held at Dhaka 16-18 June 2003

The Third South Asian Regional Session of the Global Biodiversity Forum meeting was held from 16-18 June, 2003 at IDB Bhavan Auditorium, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The main organizers of this international meeting include Bangladesh Center for Advanced Studies (BCAS), Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), Biodiversity Research Group of Bangladesh (BRGB), BioNet International, UK British American Tobacco (BAT), Centre for Sustainable Development (CFSD), Commonwealth Science Council, UK, Equator Initiative, Global Environment Facility (GEF), GLOBE, South and Central Asia, International Development Research Centre (IDRC), International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), IUCN - The World Conservation Union, IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), Kalpavriksh, India, Secretariat to the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD), South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics, and Environment South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) Secretariat, Nepal, The Indonesian Biodiversity Foundation (Kehati). The Ramsar Convention Bureau, Theme on Indigenous and Local Communities, Equity and Protected Areas, (TILCEPA), UBINIG, Bangladesh, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), University of Bangladesh, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Geneva, World Resources Institute (WRI), Zoo Outreach Organization (ZOO), India.

The meeting addressed four key issues in four workshops, which were held parallel during the three days. The main recommendations in each of the workshops are as follows:

I: PEOPLE AND PROTECTED AREAS:

Recognizing the existing policies and management options for (Protected Area) PA systems in the region, the participants:

• Encourage more participatory policies and practices of conservation and natural resource management.
• Encourage collaborative management of officially designated protected areas, through equitable sharing of decision-making powers with local communities,
• Recognize the broad range of community conserved areas and species that exist or could potentially be created,
• Support PA planning and management at larger landscape and seascape levels,

However, realizing the specificities of South Asia, the participants,

• Recognize Community Conservation Areas (CCAs) in national and international systems,
• Support laws and policies that facilitate participatory conservation,
• Encourage initiatives that generate and enhance sustainable livelihoods,
• Urge that issues of equity (incl. gender) be given priority in making policies and decisions,
• Support empowerment of women in ensuring sustainable PA management,
• Establish and strengthen institutional mechanisms that support PA systems planning and management,
• Encourage conflict resolution,
• Support use of traditional knowledge,
• Recognize the issues of sustainability,
• Support and provide incentives to Community Managed Protected Areas (CMPAs) and CCAs,
• Enhance capacity building mechanisms, amongst communities, government functionaries and NGOs,